House GOP Road Bill Remains Unchanged Ahead Of Vote

INDIANAPOLIS -- The House Republican road funding bill remains unchanged as the measure goes up for passage in the House Tuesday. Democrats made one last effort Monday to advance their own road funding plan.

The House GOP plan raises the gas tax to help generate long-term revenue for road funding.  It also shifts all of the sales tax on gas into infrastructure funding – and to cover that shift, the proposal raises the cigarette tax. 

House Democrats also want to shift the gas tax towards roads, but their plan would cover a shift in that tax with state budget reserves instead of a cigarette tax increase.  Democrats offered this amendment Monday, but GOP road bill author Ed Soliday says the proposal is “…a short term solution which gives us no reserves in our checking account.”

But Democratic Rep. Dan Forestal says, while his caucus’ proposal may only be a short-term answer, it takes care of immediate needs without raising taxes.

“Our differences lies in rolling up our sleeves and doing some hard work before we ask Hoosiers to chip in a little more,” Forestal said.

The Democrats’ amendment failed along party lines.